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Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Bridge at West Falls

Coordinates: 40°00′23″N 75°11′33″W / 40.00639°N 75.19250°W / 40.00639; -75.19250 (Bridge at West Falls)
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Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Bridge at West Falls
Reading Railroad Bridge at West Falls, looking east toward Kelly Drive
Coordinates40°00′23″N 75°11′33″W / 40.00639°N 75.19250°W / 40.00639; -75.19250 (Bridge at West Falls)
CarriesCSX Trenton Subdivision
CrossesKelly Drive, Schuylkill River, and Martin Luther King Drive (formerly West River Drive)
LocalePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
MaterialStone
Widthtwo tracks
Longest span92.8 feet (28.3 m)
No. of spans9
Piers in water6
History
Construction end1890
Location
Map

The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Bridge at West Falls is a stone and iron plate girder bridge that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It carries two CSX Trenton Subdivision tracks over Kelly Drive, Schuylkill River, and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (formerly West River Drive).

History and notable features

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This was built in 1890 by the Reading Railroad, and forms a "Y" junction with the adjacent Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Schuylkill River Viaduct (1854).[1][2][3]

The bridge consists of an 80-foot (24 m) stone arch over Kelly Drive and eight plate-girder spans that follow a 6-degree curve.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Nolan Brothers: Reading's Great Railroad and Bridge Building Firm." Reading, Pennsylvania: The Daily Times and Dispatch, November 16, 1891, p. 11 (subscription required).
  2. ^ "The Great Conewago Bridge." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The New Era, October 1, 1892, p. 7 (subscription required).
  3. ^ "What M'Leod Did for the Reading." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 30, 1893, p. 7 (subscription required).
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